The Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare has slammed as malicious Sun newspaper’s article which described Gambia as a paradise for paedophilia where tourists are buying Gambian children for sex.
The Sun newspaper quoted the CPA boss: “Gambian children are being sold to British paedophiles for little as €2- a- time by their desperate parents.” However, CPA has since refuted the comments.
The ministry said the article is malicious and based on misinformation and mischaracterisation of the facts.
“The government as a state party to various international treaties, most notably the UN Convention on the rights of the child, elimination of all forms of discrimination against women, the African charter on the rights and welfare of the child, has invested heavily in the promotion and protection of the rights of children,” the ministry added.
The ministry further stated: “The Children’s Act 2005 protects all the children in The Gambia and places a duty on everyone to report to either the police or department of social welfare any case of child abuse or the violations of the right of any child that he/she is aware of. The Act expressly prohibits sexual abuse or sexual exploitation of a child in any form or to keep a brothel or allow a child to be in brothel. In addition, the Tourism Offences Act strictly prohibits unlawful sexual advances to a child, procurement of a child for sex, child pornography and indecent acts by tourists among others.”
“The government through the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare together with Ministry of Tourism has taken a firm stand against child sex tourism in the country and measures are in place to protect children most especially in the tourism sector. The government informs the public that there is zero tolerance for child abuse or child exploitation and any person found wanting will face the full force of the law,” the release added.
